The present invention relates to a method of controlling the Sleep pattern of an infant to ensure proper psychological development.
Traditionally when a baby is put to sleep, it is assumed, as long as it is sleeping soundly, that it is receiving the full benefit of sleep. There is therefore no apparent advantage or reason to rewaken the baby,
However, under certain circumstances, a baby may give the appearance of sleeping soundly when in fact it has not entered the important rapid eye movement (referred to herein as REM) phase of sleep.
This phenomenon results from an ancient mechanism designed to protect humans from losing their babies to predators. The mechanism allows mothers to "freeze" their infants, enabling them to be hidden to avoid threats such as predators, fires, storms, earthquakes, wars, etc. Once the danger has passed, the infant can be "unfrozen" and returned to a normal state by providing it with "danger over" signals. These comprise laughter, smiles, cuddles, suckling, stroking, rocking etc.
Although this mechanism is no longer required today, it is still active in about one quarter of the population. During the time that the infant is "frozen", proper development of the central nervous system is suspended. Prolonged periods of being in this frozen state, instead of proper REM sleep, prevent proper development of the infant. This affects about 1% of babies resulting in impairment of their central nervous system. This failure of the central nervous system to develop properly has enormous effects in terms of human suffering on the victims and their families. Furthermore, the financial cost to countries is enormous. For example, in the UK it is estimated to cost .English Pound.1 billion annually.
The "frozen state" is a non-REM state in which orderly development of the central nervous system and processing therein are arrested. The frozen state is a pre-language state in which the infant baby is receptive and obedient to facial expression. This state developed in pre-language, post-ape man to compensate for the fact that babies were born helpless compared to apes, whose offspring would ride on their mothers back to escape from impending danger. In this state, the infant is silent and still, breathing is shallow, blood pressure changes and there in no explicit memory. However, most importantly in today's context, while it appears that the baby is sleeping properly there is no REM sleep. In this state, the baby is still receptive and in a state of increased strength which would allow the baby to be left clinging the branch of a tree or hidden/hung on a shelf in a cave or in a shelter or even floating, face up, in water.
The physical effects of entering the frozen state provide significant advantages in avoiding danger, particularly from predators. The baby is only responsive to its parents, so a predator is not going to be alerted to the presence of the baby by noise made by the baby. The baby has a reduced reaction to pain so the predator may take it for dead and leave it for later. Similarly, reduced blood pressure leads to reduced bleeding and again a predator may take the baby for dead. Furthermore, the baby's reduced reaction could allow it to be left in an apparently dangerous situation which again may deter a predator. For example, if there is a fire, the baby's reduced reaction could mean the predator is unwilling to risk negotiating a fire to investigate a still and silent baby, The lack of explicit memory will also protect the baby from post-trauma effects by having a memory of an unpleasant situation. The frozen state is entered when the baby detects fear or danger, particularly in its mother's face. The baby is unfrozen by laughter and happy smiling faces. It is well known that a new born baby can recognise and read its mother's or primary carer's face within a few days of birth. As a result of this, if the mother is in a state of fear or stress then this shows on her face and the baby reacts to this by entering the frozen state.
The frozen state is a partially instinctive and partially learned response and becomes more easily induced through repetition. In a modern context, language is used as a bonding/obedience control technique and as such the frozen state can be partly induced and/or resisted by the language process. As such, a baby can be susceptible to entering the frozen state as a result of the language it hears around it as well as the visual signals discussed above.
The living brain is a continuously developing structure and a considerable amount of organisation and processing is carried out during REM sleep which allows the brain to develop and process memories and learning acquired during the waking hours. Therefore, if the baby does not enter the RSM sleep state, this brain development does not occur properly and the baby is left underdeveloped. Failure of REM sleep to occur means that proper maturity of the central nervous system does not occur. It has been suggested that afflictions like schizophrenia, although they do not appear before late adolescence, are derived from factors which operate in the first months of life. Furthermore, schizophrenics show impairment and delay in acquisition of motor skills and language. Both symptoms of an under-developed central nervous system.
In a time when this mechanism was crucial for survival from predators, the mother would dictate when the baby was fed. This would usually be at a time when she felt relaxed and safe from danger herself. However, in the modern context it has become more appropriate for the mother to feed the baby on demand e.g. when it cries, such that the mother is dictated by the baby. This coupled with other environmental effects can lead to frustration in the mother causing her to become angry and/or anxious. This emotion is read by the baby in the mother's face. This coupled with aggressive language the baby may hear around it could cause it to enter the frozen state. This may appear to the mother that the baby is content and has fallen asleep, resulting in the mother laying the baby down and leaving it assuming it to be asleep. This results in the baby being left for extended periods in the frozen state in which development in the central nervous system is suspended.